Tuesday, February 2, 2016

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS -- 64

WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE
OF HUMILITY

+ I will let
Brother Wayne have the last word in this exploration of the spiritual practice
of humility.

+ There is no possibility of a mature
spiritual life without humility. Nor is it possible to be a successful human
being without it. Humility is also, most fundamentally, a relationship of truth
with ourselves. Humility begins with self-honesty about our actions, attitudes,
and speech. It compels us to accept the fact that we are capable of being
wrong, perhaps even when we are convinced we are right. It means that we
acknowledge our mistakes, not years from now, but when they are made.

We must be willing
to own up to these mistakes before others and not simply ourselves. Such
humility is a basic operating principle of ordinary life. Without it, we can
hardly move at all, since the mystical process is based on honesty and humility
of heart. Search your experience and examine if humility is at work in you.

+ As you “search
your experience,” remember to be very gentle with yourself, forgiving yourself
again and again and again. Yes, examine yourself but don’t be harsh. All too often, we judge ourselves too
critically. Humility requires diligence
but not destructive thoughts and actions.

+ We have reached
the final post of the Journey of the Mind section of this exploration. Next we will build on our mind practices as
we explore the Journey of the Heart. The
heart practices we will explore are silence, discernment and healing.

The categories of
Mind, Heart, Body and Soul are not new but, the idea of connecting these
practices with the paths of Mind, Heart, Body and Soul came to me as I read The Seeker’s Guide: Making Your Life a Spiritual
Adventure by Elizabeth Lesser, a truly amazing book. She uses these
four categories which she calls Landscapes. She offers great wisdom and many useful
practices for each of the landscapes: Mind, Heart, Body, Soul.